Overseas Chinese contribute to pandemic control
Donations of medical supplies from the European Federation of Chinese Organizations to Italy Photo: WORLDWIDE CHINESE
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, overseas Chinese from all continents have vigorously supported China in fighting the virus. According to incomplete statistics, as of Feb. 3, Guangdong overseas Chinese and their associations in more than 30 countries and regions have donated money and materials worth nearly 200 million yuan for China’s anti-epidemic work. This includes about 160 million yuan in cash and about 40 million yuan in materials.
According to the Fujian official news network FJSEN.COM, as of Feb. 9, Fujian overseas Chinese and their associations in Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Canada, the United States and other countries had donated over 4.7 million medical masks, 66,000 pieces of medical protective clothing, as well as infrared thermometers, protective goggles and medical gloves. As of Feb. 7, with the joint efforts of overseas Chinese, returned overseas Chinese and their domestic kin, Zhejiang Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese had accumulated donations of over 166 million yuan in cash and medical supplies worth about 91 million yuan.
Overseas Chinese and their societies have also played an important role in resisting the stigmatization of overseas Chinese and those of Asian descent. For example, Grace Meng, vice chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and a member of the House of Representatives, denounced Kevin McCarthy, the house minority leader in the US, for referring to the coronavirus as the “Chinese Virus.”
In Canada, the Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter launched a questionnaire to document the experiences of local Chinese suffering discrimination in relation to the outbreak. Meanwhile, representatives of several Chinese associations in Queensland, Australia, held an emergency meeting with Annastacia Palaszczuk, premier of Queensland, calling on all ethnicities to unite and fight the pandemic together.
To curb the spread of the virus, active self-isolation for 14 days has become a must for many overseas Chinese after returning to their countries of residence. In Singapore, Austria and Switzerland, many overseas Chinese have carried out 14-day self-imposed quarantines to contribute to local anti-epidemic efforts. The Chinese chamber of commerce in Belgium has given away household protective products including masks, hand sanitizers and medical disinfectant sprays to members of local Chinese associations. Many Chinese restaurants and hairdressers in Madrid, Spain, also suspended their businesses to reduce the risk of transmission.
In the fight against the pandemic, overseas Chinese have served as a natural bridge between their ancestral homeland and their countries of residence. After Thessaloniki and Athens in Greece reported confirmed cases, the Fujian Chinese chamber of commerce in Greece distributed 52,000 medical masks to their Chinese compatriots in Thessaloniki. Meanwhile, 21 Chinese associations in Rome, Italy, have together established an anti-epidemic emergency response center to provide such services as the translation of epidemic prevention advice, the aggregation of information from medical institutions, the registration of returned overseas Chinese, and the supply of daily necessities for quarantined local Chinese. The overseas Chinese in Ukraine have formed a team of 73 volunteers to assist the Ukrainian government with epidemic prevention and control, in particular health declarations and temperature detection at entry ports as well as follow-ups.
Their performance in the fight against the pandemic has created a good image for the overseas Chinese community, as their countries of residence have greatly appreciated them. This has been conducive to promoting the further integration of overseas Chinese into their local societies. The active dedication of overseas Chinese to their countries of residence and the international community is the community of shared future for mankind in practice.
Chen Yiping is vice dean and a professor from the School of International Studies at Jinan University.
edited by YANG LANLAN